บท 6: United States and its nose in Latin America (January-March, 1903).
Haitian Conflict: Economy and KGB]
From a Russian perspective, the Haitian conflict was something very peripheral that mattered little to them in matters of diplomacy or politics, but Alexander III (after laughing at Wilhelm II) understood that currently the Caribbean conflict could be economically damaging.
Especially if the conflict finally involved Mexico (the Tehuantepec canal could be captured or destroyed by the United States, with severe future economic consequences).
The trans-oceanic conflict already caused considerable damage to world trade, at a time when the Latin American agro-export model had fallen into crisis, there was recession, inflation and conflicts throughout various parts.
The conflict was not going to benefit almost anyone, except (in part) Russia, which could sell as neutral to both Germany and the United States.
Another concern of Tsar Alexander III was what the British Empire could do, now that France was in civil war and Germany was restructuring to focus on the Haitian conflict, practically the British Empire had a free route for its plans (and there was only Russia to "contain" the British, or be victims of them).
There were several options:
A-The British decide to focus inside their empire.
B-The British decide to interfere in some way in the Haitian conflict (perhaps not as a participant, but as an intermediary).
C-The British decide to meddle in the French conflict and / or take Suez.
D-The British decide to focus on their containment policy against Russia.
E-The British decide to do a little bit of everything (and possibly fail, achieve all or not achieve the 100% of their goals).
In short, Russia had little interest in participating in the Haitian conflict, but certainly the same conflict between the United States and Germany could affect them on several levels.
Among all this, the KGB (Komitet gosudárstvennoy bezopásnosti, КГБ) discovered part of the United States' financing of Mexican anti-government elements.
Above all, through the smuggling of arms and money, it made rebels, as opposed to the official army, generally counting on German equipment.
What the KGB did not know at that time was WHO were the elements financed with these resources, because the 1900s (especially from 1903 onwards), became a difficult period for the Second Mexican Empire.
The post-Fashoda economic crisis in the Second Mexican Empire, led to the decrease in exports, the increase in import prices and the suspension of credits to industrialists. Unleashing heavy unemployment and declining income.
This above all unleashed a host of elements that for decades were quite well suppressed, on the one hand labor movements and other anti-Porfirians (not necessarily against the empire, it should be said).
Porfirio Diaz had ruled as minister-president for years and this began to annoy certain elements, partly due to the lack of reform towards a completely constitutional monarchy, limitations on the power of the minister-president, elimination of the "Scientists" (elites who led the country with Porfirio Diaz, a leader and a camera that grew old day by day), etc.
This and the economic situation triggers the popularity of labor and reactionary movements of various kinds.
Among elements that were later verified or made public, were endorsed by the United States government are:
* The military man Victoriano Huerta and allies (a military clique and some rebellious Yaqui natives in particular).
* The brothers Jesús (1871), Ricardo (1874) and Enrique (1877) Flores Magón (sons of the anti-Porfirian Teodoro Flores Magón), journalists and politicians who in their libertarian philosophy added indigenous community elements, Mexican liberalism and European anarchism.
* And other elements for a short period, including from mercenaries, large capitalist landowners, military, criminals, other anti-Porfiristas, left elements (Socialists, Anarchist-Libertarians, etc), and more.
* Later the United States favored anti-leftist groups. But this is a topic to analyze at another time.
*******
[Grand Meeting of April?]
Tsar Alexander III met in April, as many times before, with his son, ministers, generals and other elements of the Tsarist government, such as the Duma (the Duma at that time was rather an administrative-economic advisory body, without real power).
"In three years, if I survive, it will be forty years since I began my reign." Tsar Alexander III mentions.
"Great news, Your Highness." General Mikhail Skobelev exclaims.
"Do you want us to plan another Grand Meeting of April, sir?" Sergei Witte asks, being the Minister of Finance, Trade and Industry.
"No. I consider that the Grand Meetins of April will be unnecessary from now on, so no more will be held during my reign." Tsar Alexander III explains.
"Why?". The Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov asks with some surprise, as do some others present.
"If everything goes as planned by the government, we will no longer need the grand meetings as all issues will be discussed and resolved through the day-to-day running of the post-reform government." Tsar Alexander III mentions it simply.
"Sounds good to me, if you wish it that way, Tsar Alexander. But I personally advise that we still hold the celebrations to honor his 40-year reign." Witte claims, with Tsesarevich Nicholas supporting the idea.
"People will love it." Mikhail Skobelev and others join.
"Alright, it's decided then." Tsar Alexander III accepts.
It must be understood that certain people ascend to a semi-legendary or completely legendary status while they are still alive (many other people obtain the status of legend after dying), in the Russian collective, a person who ascended to this status in life, was Tsar Alexander III, Tsar Augustus.
Even so the tsar was a contradictory figure, but what was important was his achievements, which gave him this high position among the Russian state.
* More than 20 years of reign, meaning that there was a generational change and a long government that had a profound impact on Russia.
* Economic reform, with positive (and negative) results but attributed to this reign. Industrialization of cities, mechanization of agriculture and civil-military technological innovation.
* Successful wars and the expansion of the territory, are always a popular point. Among this, the elimination of an old enemy, the Ottoman Empire, was also achieved.
* Creation of a colonial empire.
* End of the cycle of famines that plagued the Russian Empire.
* Capture of Tsargrad.
* A golden age of Russian culture.
This means that the capabilities, pride and national ideas of Russia had been fulfilled or expanded remarkably, at the beginning of the Alexandrian period (the transition between Alexander II and Alexander III) was not the same as the middle or the end of that period.
While there was of course criticism or opposition to the Tsar's measures, this precisely deviated more towards one's own policies or other members, not specifically the person of Tsar Alexander III or his position as monarch.
And it is that different groups could have different criticisms of the tsar.
The ultra-nationalists of the far-right could believe that Tsar Alexander III, although he had successes (expanding the Russian language in university education, colonization, destruction of the Ottoman Empire, etc.) did not go too far (lack of expansion of the Russification or more pan-Slavic for example).
Liberal and moderate reformists could criticize that Tsar Alexander III clung to power for perhaps too long, maintaining authoritarian measures, the death penalty, etc.
The socialists and other members of the extreme left could think that the tsar made good reforms (union reform, the working day, etc.), they also thought that he still maintained many of the injustices between social classes (capitalists and nobles against peasants and proletarians) , he avoided certain labor reforms and kept the unions dependent on the government, etc.
Within many other opinions.
It is the problem of having such a large country, with so many people from different social and ethnic-cultural backgrounds (it is possible to generalize between some groups, but there are ALWAYS exceptions), many people believed that the Tsar had successes and mistakes.
But the hits generally outweighed the mistakes.
*******
[Russosphere: Cultural Renaissance]
With the creation of the Russosphere, the zone of Russian influence, Tsar Alexander III not only carried out processes of economic-industrial modernization (according to Russian economic thinking, infrastructure would not only increase the quality of life and loyalty of the regions, it would also mean more ability to sell Russian products in the region, obtain the resources of the Russosphere, create jobs, and many other ways to profit.
With the fall of the Ottoman Empire, many regions and / or ethnic groups gained their "independence" (legally speaking, but firmly within the Russosphere, so not entirely de-facto independent), a process of liberation in various senses.
The caliph of Islam ceased to exist and now there were many Muslim citizens who identified (or not) as something else, they were no longer Ottomans.
They were Turkish-speaking Muslims, Kurds, Sunnis or Shiites, Assyrians, Russians (by nationality and not ethnicity), Lebanese, Syrians, Alawites, Druze, etc.
This meant that between the states of the Russosphere (especially in Anatolia and the Middle East) there were cultural programs, new artists and artistic works, local or national identities, cultural exchanges and more.
For example, programs were given for the revitalization of the Assyrian language and culture in the State of Assyria.
With the renovations of cities and educational institutions in the Republic of Baghdad (Sunni Iraq), State of Mesopotamia (Shiite Iraq) and the Republic of Syria, the first seeds of new poets and intellectuals emerged in this region of the Islamic world.
Greater Lebanon and the Alawite State were conducting various cultural exchange programs to understand more about trade, the tourism industry, services, etc.
But perhaps the most interesting cases were the Republic of Cilicia and the State of Ionia.
Both were one of the two faces of the Turkish states, and all three were different from each other. With the great cultural renaissance throughout the Middle East and Anatolia (similar to the Manchu language renaissance in Inner Manchuria, but on a much larger scale), differences continued to settle.
This is due to the fact that although the populations could share certain ethnic-cultural traits (the majority of the rural population being Muslim and speaking Turkish), they had different situations and modes of government that influenced the culture.
The president of Cilicia, Ahmet Rıza Bey, was guiding his population towards new enlightened ideas (essentially imported from Europe) and a STEM education system (imitating the Russian system, since the technology brought in through Russian investment also needed a native staff educated so as not to lose everything that was achieved).
Cultural coexistence between "Turks" (those Muslims who speak Turkish) and the rest of the inhabitants of the republic, mainly Armenians (although there were also some other groups such as Alawites). With the intention of preventing events, such as the so-called Armenian genocide, from happening again, making a healthy multi-ethnic state.
The aforementioned educational reforms also brought the influence of Europe to the state, mainly Russian influence (the Russian language was taught, Russia gave scholarships or offered work to citizens of the republic part of the Russosphere, etc).
But if we talk about the objective of Ahmet Riza Bey, in essence it was the establishment of a Turkish republic, liberal and secular, with an educated population and not ignorant in the face of new movements and technologies.
The State of Ionia on the other hand was a dictatorship led by a military junta, so its cultural renaissance was different. They decided they followed the idea of an "enlightened authoritarianism", as was done in the Russian Empire (the Russian influence was noticeable and was an important tool within Ionia).
After all the economy was improving (thanks to the Alexandrian plans), the junta developed rural educational programs to create a "Turkish" identity for all Muslims in the rural environment (whether they were actually Turkish or not), similar to the idea of the all-encompassing Russian nationality.
Thus, while agriculture was mechanized, rural youth would arrive in the cities as "Turkish" citizens loyal to the regime. A counterweight to the large Greek population of the coasts, and they would cooperate together with the Armenians (friends of the Russians) and Russians (support of the regime) to maintain the state.
Of course this education also came with strong authoritarian-militaristic, collectivist and supra-ethnic elements (Jonian citizenship is superior to ethnic divisions). Democracy and individualism were not very well received.
These reforms were quite successful in the transition stage, the junta and the Russian Empire brought more prosperity to Ionia than for example the Republic of Turkey (the only Turkish state outside the Russosphere) and the kingdom of Greece, supporting the ideas of the board and the Ionia-Russia relationship.
*******
[Anti-Semitism in Russia]
погром, pogrom or "Devastation."
Technology advances much faster than tradition, Russia was a country with a long history of anti-Semitism. Of course, in the Alexandrian period, it began to compete against said anti-Semitism, through the Alexandrian laws (which protected the Jews and seriously punished pogroms) or socio-political movements, such as Bundism (with which the Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich had ties).
But despite this, there were still places (especially rural, but there are also anti-Semitic urban centers of course) where there was still strong anti-Semitism.
During February in the town of Dubossary, Bessarabia province, the 14-year-old Mikhail Rybachenko disappeared.
Rybachenko was found dead, murdered, shortly after.
The newspaper "Bessarabets", of the city of Kishinev (main city of Bessarabia) had soon published (without information or proof) that it had been a ritual murder of Jewish origin, which involved the bleeding of the young man.
Instead, police officers established that Rybachenko's cause of death was stabbing. But Bessarabets insisted on a Jewish ritual and that the criminal was Jewish, even going so far as to publish rumors that the tsar had personally issued a secret decree authorizing the robbery and beating of Jews for three days after Easter.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back, the authorities ordered the closure of the daily Bessarabets and its creator (and main editor) Pavel Aleksandrovich Krushevan was arrested.
Originally Krushevan had run the Bessarabets as a liberal daily, but it had become a far-right and anti-Semitic newspaper.
The official version was published and the idea of a Jewish participation in the Rybachenko case was actively denied through the official media (newspaper) (until the opposite is proven, and if there were any, it did not mean that the population could make pogroms) .
Later it was found that Mikhail Rybachenko was killed by a relative (cousin or uncle depending on the version) to get priority over an inheritance.
After imprisonment Krushevan remained a far-right activist.
He became particularly famous because he was once stabbed by a Jew, but not fatally. And Krushevan refused to receive treatment from the doctor who came to treat him, because the doctor was a Jew.
A first-rate idiot.
But we have to understand that Krushevan was not the cause of all anti-Semitism in Russia (although he did try to create problems), Krushevan was just the product of an anti-Semitic tradition in Russia.
A tradition that the government was trying to fight, but that just wasn't going to just go away.
*******
[290 birthday]
On March 10, the Winter Palace celebrated the birthday of Emperor Alexander III, who was turning 58 years old (getting closer and closer to 60).
This time the emperor's birthday was particular, it was not only a costume party, but there was also a particular theme, the guests had to attend in pre-Petrine clothes (clothes before the Russian Empire, clothes that belonged to the Tsardom).
This holiday was to honor that the Romanov dynasty was over 290 years old (the anniversary was on February 24-26, but the Imperial Family decided to celebrate this along with the emperor's birthday. The 300th anniversary would be celebrated in February, if nothing happened ).
The costumes for the dance were created in advance according to special sketches by the artist Sergei Solomko and with the help of consultants, replicating costumes from the time of Tsar Alexei.
Several photos were taken about the event that was the biggest holiday in St. Petersburg during 1903, including not only Russian nobility but also some foreigners like the Thai prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath (son of King Rama V) and it was an inspiration for elements of popular culture many decades later.
320px-1903_ball_-_Prince_of_Siam_Chakraban.jpg
Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, son of King Rama V.
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Tsesarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov.
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Influence of the celebration in pop culture.
(OOC: This is Star Wars XD).
(OOC 2: I wanted to post more but 3-images per day in thread only).
*Perspective.
"1. 2. 3!" Tsar Alexander III exclaims, lifting up his grandson, dressed as an officer.
"Again!". Grand Duke Nichlas Nikolayevich (son of Tsesarevich) exclaims, but his grandfather sits down with some back pain.
"Later yes, he goes to play a little." The tsar calmly exclaims, ruffling his grandson's hair.
"Okay!" Grand Duke Nicholas exclaims, 'charging' like a soldier.
The other grandsons of the Tsar had arrived. "Do you want to play too?" The Tsar questions before having to lift his grandchildren in the air.
*******
[International]
January 1, Russian scientist Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky publishes the article "Explorations of outer space with the help of reaction apparatuses", which explains the basic equation of the rocket.
During 1903, Tsiolkovsky also continued to propose various things, such as space station designs (what we can recognize as a rotating wheel space station, an idea that inspired popular fiction decades later).
36 killed in the Mississippi River Delta Hippo Wars.
January 3, several Norwegian ships such as the Remittant are quarantined in Ireland, due to an epidemic of "beriberi" among the crew.
January 4, death of the Russian writer Alexandr Aksakov.
January 9, begins a brief ceasefire (of a few days) in the fighting in the Atlantic when the SS Palmas, an Irish cargo ship, disappears (with more than 39 crew on board, none returning) on its way from Ireland to the United States.
The reason for the disappearance of the SS Palmas is unknown, initially it was considered that perhaps it was due to actions of the German or American navy, but there was no evidence.
January 11, the Boer United States begins to imitate the segregation laws of the United States of America, segregating the white population (generally of European origin, considered superior) from the native and colored Africans (considered inferior).
January 12, the scientist Albert Einstein begins to publish several articles in the institutions of Saratov, Russia.
Nothing as important as later jobs, but it is part of the individual's career.
January 13, after nothing could be found about the SS Palmas, the Atlantic conflicts in the war in Haiti resumed. During this time the German and American navy had some time to recover and continue the conflict.
January 14, opens the Hotel National, Moscow, designed by Alexander Ivanov and financed by The Varvarinskoe Joint-Stock Company of Householders.
January 23, US troops launch an amphibious assault in northern Venezuela, near Colombia, with the intention of removing Venezuela (and potentially Cipriano Castro) from the Haitian conflict.
In eastern Venezuela, Venezuelan and German troops (stationed in Suriname) begin preparing to secure the eastern and southern territories against the US invasion.
Although the Americans are successful in part of their operation (destroying some Venezuelan forts), some of the troops on the left flank were detained in fishing villages.
Colombian troops moved to the brink, while President Rafael Uribe Uribe proclaims "total solidarity" with the Venezuelan people and state.
On January 28, with the US advance on Venezuelan soil, the "Venezuelan Incident" occurs. General and Vice President Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón, who crushed the revolts of 1902, inflicted a notorious defeat on the US forces, preventing the advance within territory. Venezuelan (for now).
More than 3,900 US soldiers killed in action.
It gets pretty shameful in American military history, which hardly ever mentions his failures.
January 31, military parade in Sängerhaus (Alsace-Lorraine), while the troops continue to prepare for the Haitian conflict (which is no longer only located in Haiti).
February 1, 10 US soldiers are detained by Venezuelan fishermen.
(OOC: Based on real events of American mercenaries in modern Venezuela).
February 5, in the Irish elections Irish unionists lose more and more ground due to political inaction against the Social Aristocracy and Home Rule, among the many other problems in Ireland caused by the English that have not been solved by unionists, negotiators or pacifists.
February 11, a very interesting event occurs, in Oxnard, California, United States, a new union is created after a strike.
It is the first time in US history that a union was formed with members of multiple races, Japanese workers and 200 Mexican workers formed the Japanese-Mexican Labor Association (JMLA).
Quite an achievement for the rising Labor movements in America. Foreigners exported many leftist ideas to the United States, and external situations (lack of movement for quarantine measures, the Haitian conflict, economic recession preventing movement, etc.), caused greater organization of labor movements.
As there were in other parts of the developed world.
7000 workers in protest in Vienna, crushed by the police force.
February 13, the US Navy inflicts a defeat on the Imperial German Navy near the waters of Trinidad and Tobago, and northern Venezuela.
However, the US navy fails to block southern Haiti and northern Venezuela, targets of the navy to force a withdrawal of Germany, the government of southern Haiti and Venezuela from the conflict.
February 16, Traian Vuia designs the first Romanian airplane. The problem is that Vuia has no funds, so he sells his design to military personnel from other countries (Germany and some French rebels).
In general, more and more technological advancements have been seen in warfare, such as mechanized units and the use of airplanes, to name just a few.
February 20 to 23, the United States passes its ships closer and closer to Cuba (Mexico) and Panama (Colombia), trying to know if these two countries will join the conflict or not (if they pass close, they can intimidate the countries to failing to join or promptly forcing them to join, which would allow the United States to deploy troops there).
Of course, Elihu Root still doesn't win the love of the anti-imperialists at home.
February 26, considerable American ships such as the Columbus and Republic battleships are sunk by the German navy, which begins to regain ground.
Managing to briefly approach American southern waters, but still not enough to force the United States out of the conflict. Germany needs more countries or forces involved.
In Haiti, on the other hand, the southern government (supported by Germany) continues to lose territory to the rebels in the north (supported by the United States).
February 27, British skirmishes are defeated by French forces on the colonial borders of both empires.
March 1, Henri Bourassa and Olivar Asselin found the Ligue Nationaliste Canadienne, in Quebec, Canada.
A pan-Canadian nationalist organization, but anti-imperialist. The league defended Canadian autonomy in the British Empire and the "Canadian spirit" among Francophones, insisting that Canada should be politically independent from the United Kingdom and the United States.
They did not become too large a group.
March 2, the hippopotamuses of the Mississippi Delta begin a small "migration route", a Hippo Wars "operation" that ends with several buildings damaged and more than 29 dead (and many more injured).
Since then, big cities sometimes have problems with hippos walking the streets.
March 3, the Royal Navy announces plans to expand further.
Germany reacts with its own expansion plans, which alert the United States.
On the same day, several US ships are sunk in the Caribbean by German assault, which multiplies the need for a response to German plans (which were actually only part of the display of Anglo-German naval competition).
March 4, 58th United States Congress assembles in Washington, DC.
March 5, Russia further increases its production and export of oil, as it expands not only the oil wells of Azerbaijan and other parts of Russia, but also the Russosphere.
For example, there is the Armenian magnate, Calouste Gulbenkian, part of the private personalities who, in cooperation with the Russian government, began to create the infrastructure for the extraction of oil from the northern Middle East.
Much of which practically belonged to Russia, through the oil rights ceded by the smaller nations to Russia.
March 9, due to the lack of adequate economic measures, trade contractions, money flight and other problems, the Haitian conflict causes a drop in the global market of more than 10 million dollars, especially hitting some industrial regions of the United States. United and obviously tightening the belt of Germany.
Russia on the other hand is relatively afloat by selling weapons and food to combatants.
March 12, the Royal Navy moves some ships to the Kingdom of Spain in Puerto Rico (led by Carlos VII), protecting the site of the Haitian conflict in the Caribbean.
March 14, Colombia joins the Haitian conflict between Germany and the United States when a US ship finally passes "too close" to Colombian waters in Panama, motivating local insurgents.
The war between Germany and the United States is only intensifying, now the US Navy is targeting the capture of Panama to take a spearhead in northern Colombia and possibly Venezuela.
But Germany, Colombia and Venezuela have a considerable advantage when playing at home with veteran ground troops (from Fashoda), the terrain of northern Latin America also helps in the fight against the Americans.
March 23, the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, found a company for the construction of aircraft parts.
March 25, Russian socialists decide that between the end of July and the beginning of August 1903, they will meet in Italy to discuss about socialism in Russia (different labor movements), the support of the Russian labor movement for revolutions elsewhere ( Spain-Portugal, Italy and France).
Among them is Vladimir Lenin of course, who despite the fact that he has great influence in Germany, still considers himself more than anything, Russian.
March 31, Richard Pearse designs the first New Zealand airplane.
(OOC: These months weren't much to be honest XD).
*******
* [Do you even lift bro?]
For the meetings of Russian socialists in Italy, Nikolay Valentinov meets for the first time with Vladimir Ulyanov 'Lenin' in Switzerland.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Valentinov exclaims, surprised to see the man in person, Lenin was more muscular than he (Valentinov) expected.
"Same here, Mr. Valentinov. Some of our colleagues have told me about you...Is true that you were a champion in weightlifting?" Lenin asks curiously.
"Well, yes. But now I am a journalist" Valentinov responds.
"Could you teach me a little?" Lenin asks again.
Lacking equipment, Valentinov and Lenin were using brooms from the Ulyanov family home to imitate proper ways of lifting weights.
"What are you doing?". Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya, Lenin's wife, asks while her mother (Elizaveta Vasilyevna Tistrova) is laughing.
"... We are engaged in very important business." Lenin responds.
(OOC: I will put a source for this, later).
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